Power operated clutch



Sept. 4, 1945. E. e. L EWIS I 2,384,182

POWER OPERAQEDQLUTCH Filed--May25, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 r 1 I. I i

. I I V I, I I

EDWARD G. LEWIS,

w v 5} fA/VC/VTOQ' Patented Sept. 4, i945 2,384,182 POWER OPERATEDCLUTCH Edward G. Lewis, London, Ohio, assignor to The JeffreyManufacturing Company, a corporation of Ohio Application May 25, 1943,Serial No. 488,332

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a power operated clutch.

An object of the invention is to provide improved hydraulicallycontrolled clutch mechanism either alone or as a part of the feedingmechanism of a mining machine.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novelfeatures and combinations being set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a mining machine including thefeatures of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a piping diagram of the. hydraulic system incorporated in themachine of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a spread sectional plan view of the drive assembly for thetraction means of a mining machine;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 looking inthe direction of the arrows; and 1 Fig. 5 is a transverse sectionalelevational view showing a drive sprocket and associated crawler controland operating mechanism is mounted including the electrical drivingmotor for the min-' ing machine. The main frame 20 provides ,a truckwhich is preferably mounted upon traction means which are illustrated inthe form of endless crawlers, one of which is seen at 22, there being apair of such crawlers, one extending longitudinally along each side ofthe main frame 20.

The position of one of the crawlers 22 with respect to the main frame 20is illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

Mounted upon the forward part of the main frame 20 for vertical orupright adjustment is a turntable 23 which carries an endless chaincutter mechanism 24. The turntable 23 is mounted for swinging movementon a tiltable and vertically adjustable ring 25, which ring 25 issupportedupon three telescopic double acting hoist cylinders or jacks26, I26 and 226. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) The hoist cylinders or jacks 26,I26 and 226 are spaced about the periphery of the ring 25 and they aremounted on the main frame 20 as hereinafter described more completely.It

may be stated that the construction of the turntable 23, miningmechanism 24 and ring 25 is of a construction which is well known inthis art and may follow the construction illustrated in the platform 2|.

patent to Nils D. Levin, No. 2,170,927, for a mining machine, datedAugust 29, 1939, but in the present instance no adjustment between thecutting mechanism 24 and the turntable 23 is provided as is provided insaid patent.

It may further be stated that in general the Jacks 26, I26 and 226 maybe spaced as are the standards I9, I9, I8 of said patent'and in generalsaid jacks perform the function performed by said standards I9, I9 andI9 in said patent, but the jacks 26, I26 and 226 possess numerousadvantages in connection with the mining machine.

Attention is now directed to Figs. 3, 4 and. 5 of the drawings andparticularly to the gear train for driving the two endless crawlers 22.Mounted on the rear platform is an electric motor 56 (see Fig. 3) whichcarries on its armature shaft a pinion 51 which meshes with a large gear56 provided with an integral hub or sleeve 59 which is mounted by meansof anti-friction bearings on a stationary shaft 60 carried in spaceduprights rigidly attached to the main frame 20 and Feathered on thesleeve 59 is a shiftable gear 6| which is manually operable by gearshifting mechanism 62 to provide a neutral, high speed or low speeddrive from the electric motor 56 to the crawlers 22 under the control ofindividual hydraulically operated friction clutches as hereinafterdescribed.

As illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the gear 6| is in its neutralposition. When shifted to the left, said gear meshes with a. large gear63 to provide a low speed drive. Said gear 63 is keyed to an elongatedhub 65 of a pinion 66 which is bushed to rotate freely one. shaft 64.

Pinion gear 66 is permanently in mesh with a large gear 61 keyed to ahub of pinion gear 66 which is bushed for free rotation on thestationary shaft 60 and is in mesh with a large gear 68 keyed to the hubof a. pinion III which in turn is keyed to aforesaid shaft 64 and mesheswith a large gear ll keyed to a main countershaft I2. The abovedescribed gear tarin provides a slow speed drive for the crawlers 22.

It may be pointed out at this time that the aforementioned gear 6| alsohas integral jaws I3 formed on the right-hand end thereof (as viewed inFig. 3) which are adapted to engage jaws ll formed integral with thegear 61, By shifting the gear 6| to the right, jaws l3 and 14 are inengagement so that gear 61 is driven directly from gear 58, the gear 6|merely acting as a clutch sleeve. This provides a high speed drive forthe crawlers 22. By shifting the gear 6| to the left fromthe positiondriveis effected by introducing between the gear 58 and'the gear 61,since reducing gears BI, 63 and 86 are thereby interposed in the drive.

The right-hand or outer end of the shaft 84 is provided with a chainsprocket 15 having on one end jaws of a jaw clutch 16, the other portionof said jaw clutch being keyed to the end of the shaft 54. Said jawclutch 16 is shiftable into and out of engagement by shifting thesprocket 15 "along its axis under the control of manually operableshifting mechanism 11. The sprocket 15 drives an electric cable drum 18(see viewed in Fig. 3, the low speed Fig. 1) which is mounted ona.transverse axis adjacent the rear end of the platform 2i.

The countershaft 12 drives the two endless crawlers 22 and each of saidendless crawlers is individually controlled by means of a frictionclutch and brake, the friction clutch and brake associated with theright-hand drive being designated 19 and that associated with thelefthand drive being designated 88. Since these two types areduplicates, a description of one will suflice for both.

Keyed to the outer right-hand end of the countershaft 12 is a drivinginner clutch member 8| which is removably attached to said shaft by awasher nd screw designated 82. The driving clutch ,rnember BI isprovided with a plurality of axial grooves which receive projections ona plurali of compressible friction clutch plates 83 which are stackedalternately with similar clutch plates having outer projections whichare received in axial grooves 84 formed on the inner peripheralsurfaceof a clutch housing or casing 85 which is of generally cylindrical shapeand forms not only a clutch housing but also a brake drum by virtue of acentrally disposed outer cylindrical drum surface 86. The

housing or casing 85 constitutes the driven member of the clutch 19 asis well understood in the clutch art.

By compressing the clutch plates 83, the frictional driving relation isset up between the driving clutch member 8| and the driven clutch memberor housing 85. The particular arrangement of parts, by which this clutch19 is effectively engaged and disengaged, constitutes an importantfeature of my invention.

The housing 85 has as an effective part thereof which is removable, anend plate 81 attached to the cylindrical portion of housing 85 by screws88. Formed as an integral part of said end plate 81 is a cylindricalextension 89 which forms a cylinder of a hydraulic piston motor oractuator 98 for applying and releasing the clutch 19. Said motor 98includes in addition to the cylinder 89 a piston 9| which on itsleft-hand end, as viewed in Fig. 3, abuts a crowned boss 92 which isformed on a compressor plate 93 adapted to compress the clutch plates 83between a peripheral ring thereof and an abutting ring formed on theinterior of the housing 85 in alignment therewith. The compressor plate93 with crowned boss 92 rotates with the casing 85 by virtue of integralwebs onthe plate 93 extending into the grooves 84. As a consequencethere ,is no relative rotation between the piston 9| and the crownedboss 92 so there is no wear on the bearing surface of either of them.

To provide hydraulic fluid to the interior of the cylinder 89 to actuatethe piston 9|, said cylinder 89 is provided with an integral head fromwhich an integral post 94 extends. The

a speed reduction and post 94 rotate.

therefor is'provided by a post 94 is provided with a longitudinal bore95 communicating with the interior of the cylinder 89 and at its outerend communicating with one or more radial bores 95 extending through thepost 94 and communicating with a circumferential groove 91 which isformed in a removable and stationary sleeve or packing gland 98 which isrigidly attached to a portion of the main frame 28 by a screw 99.Communicating with the circumferential groove 91 is a bore I88 whichleads to a hydraulic pipe I8 I.

To provide a hydraulic seal between the groove 91 and the post 94 whilepermitting rotation of the post 94, cylindrical extension 88 and clutchhousing 85, the sleeve 98 is provided with a pair of hydraulic packingsI82, one on each side of a central generally cylindrical portion of thesleeve 98 within which the groove 91 is formed. The sleeve 98 andassociated parts are removably attached to post 94 by screw and washermeans I83.

As above pointed out. the sleeve 98 is stationary while the combinationfriction brake drum and clutch housing 85, together with the end plate81, hydraulic piston motor or actuator 88. Support for these rotatedparts is provided first of all by the fact that the left-hand end of thehousing is mounted on and keyed to a sleeve I84 which is journaled onthe aforementioned countershaft 12 which itself is mounted in spacedjournal bearings. I85 carried by the main frame 28. This providessupport for one end of said clutch 19 and bydraulic fluid motor 98.Additional support journal bearing I86 in an upright partition of themain frame 28 which journal bearing I88 receives an outer cylindricalsurface formed on the cylinder extension 89.

It is obvious that the conduit and seal construction provided by thebores 95, 96 and I88 and the groove 91, together with the sleeve 98 andpackings I82 will provide a conduit or passageway leading from the pipeIN to the interiorof the cylinder 89 so that the piston M can beactuated at any time while the hydraulic motor 98 and clutch 19 rotate.Thus the power delivered at either of two selected speeds from the motor56 to countershaft 12 may be selectively applied or released to drive orrelease the sleeve I84 under the control of the hydraulic piston motor98 and the clutch 19. A

The sleeve I84 has an integrally formed sprocket I81 which drives achain I88 which in turn drives a sprocket I89 (see Fig. 5) which iskeyed to a sleeve I I8 mounted upon spaced journal bearings carried by astationary shaft III, which shaft III is supported in longitudinallyextending plates forming guideways for one of the crawlers 22, saidplates being an integral part of the main frame 28, all as clearlyillustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

Also keyed to the sleeve I I8 is a drive sprocket II2 which meshes withand drives one of the crawlers 22. It is, of course, understood that thestructure of the countershaft 12 and the crawler 22 is duplicated oneach side of the mining maby a hydraulic piston motor I I4 which ispivotally attached at one end to a plate of the mining v III. Thepressure of feed pipe II! leads through a high pressure relief valve I2Iand thence to a four-way control valve I22 which preferably has thestructure of the control valve disclosed in Fig. 36 of the patent to R.K. Jefirey et al., No. 2,263,779 for .9. Mining machine, dated November25, 1941. This four-way control valve I22 provides for the seriesoperation of the three hydraulic Jacks which control the turntable '23,said jacks being designated 26, I2 and 226 in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

It is evident from the above description that only three of the fourindividual valves of the control valve 22 have been employed to adjustthe jacks 28, I2 and 228. The function of the other valve of this groupwill be explained hereinafter.

Branching from the feed pipe III through a check valve I22 is anauxiliary feed pipe I24 leading to and from a pressure oil accumulatorI26, the leakage of which drains into the return pipe I20. The auxiliarypipe I24 has branches leading to each of two control valves I21 and I28.It may be stated that the valve I21 provides for the alternate operationof the hydraulic pistonmotor associated with and operating the clutch I.or a hydraulic piston motor 2 I4 for operating the brake mechanismassociated with said clutch II. In other words, the valve I21 is soconstructed that the clutch 80 and its associated brake mechanism canonly be selectively operated and not simultaneously operated.

The construction of the valve I21 may follow the construction of thevalve I" disclosed in Fig. of the application of John S. Beltz, SerialNo. 380,812 filed February 27, 1941, entitled Mining machine," nowPatent No. 2,357,724, dated September 5, 1944, or it may have any otherdesired well-known construction capable of carrying out the aboveoperation.

Similarly the valve I28 provides for the alternate operation of thehydraulic piston motor 80 for actuating the clutch 1! or the hydraulicpiston motor I I4 for operating the brake mechanism associated with saidclutch 19. By virtue of valves I21 and I2. it is evident that both theclutches 12 and II may be simultaneously actuated to drive both of thecrawlers 22. Also the brake mechanism associated with each of thecrawlers 22 may be simultaneously operated. Furthermore, either one ofthe crawlers 22 may be driven by operating its associated clutch whilethe other is either free of either braking or driving action or brakingaction is applied thereto. This latter condition is frequently desiredwhere a sharp turn is to be made with the mining machine.

Returning to the four-way valve I22. As was above pointed out, thesefour valves provide a series relation and normally they provide a noload by-pass for the pump Ill so that practically no pressure is presentin the pipe I I9 when none of the individual valves of four-way valveI22 is actuated. It is for this reason that'the accumulator I25 isprovided because it may be desirable to operate the clutchesor thebrakes while the no load by-pass is provided for pump I I8. However,should all of the oil be drained from accumulator I25 and thus none beavailable to operate one or more 01' the brakes or clutches and suchoperation was desired, I provide the fourth individual valve of the unitI22 so that by the simple expedient of operating this valve the no loadby-' pass for the pump H8 is shut oil and since the oil in pipe IISwhich has been by-passed has no place else to go it will flow to theaccumulator I25 and this can be allowed to continue until it is fullwhich would be indicated by the operation of the high pressure reliefvalve I2I.

By reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings, three operating handlesdesignated as a group by the reference character I29 are provided. Theseare the operating handles for the three individual valves of thefour-way control valve I22, one for each of the Jacks 26, I26 and 226. Aknob Ill adjacent the handles I28 provides the operating means for theby-pass shut-01f valvewhich is the fourth individual valve of thefour-way control valve I22.

v The mechanism for propelling or feeding the mining machine providesfor its propulsion at a high or transportation speed so that it canreadily move from one room to the next or toward and from the workingface at a high rate. The low speed drive provides for feeding of themachine while it is cutting a kerf by rectilinear or curved feedingmovement as controlled by the traction means 22. The individual frictionclutches are not only individually hydraulically 4Q operated byindividual hydraulic motors but these my invention.

motors are mounted or formed as a unit with their associated clutchesand rotated with the housing or driven members thereof. This makes for acompact and eiilcient arrangement of clutches and hydraulicallyoperating mechanism and a point of particular significance is that thereis no relative rotation between the actuating piston such as the pistonSI and the crowned boss 92 of the compressor plate 82 so there is nooccasion whatever for wear between any part of the hydraulic pistonmotor ll and the clutch 19. This is an important feature of Obviouslythose skilled in the art may make various changes in the details andarrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as defined by the claims hereto appended, and-I wish thereforenot to be restricted to.the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus described and shown an embodiment of my invention, what Inow desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A combination friction clutch and hydraulic motor actuating meanstherefor including driving and driven clutch members one of whichincludes a rotary mounted housing having an end plate, said end platehaving an integral part forming a cylinder of the clutch actuatingmotor, said cylinder having its axis aligned with the .axis of saidhousing, a piston in said cylinder, a

clutch compressor plate in said housing havmg a central crowned boss,said piston having an abutting relation with said crowned boss, andmeans for supplying fluid pressure to said cylin- 4- 'w ass-area derthereby to force said piston against said 3. A combination frictionclutch and hydraulic crowned boss and engage said clutch members. motoractuating means therefor including driving 2. A combination frictionclutch and hydraulic and driven clutch members one of which includesmotor actuating means therefor including driva rotary mounted housinghaving an end plate, ing and driven clutch members one of which in- 5said end plate having a part iorming a cylinder cludes a rotary mountedhousing having an end of the clutch actuating motor, a piston in saidplate, said end plate having a part forming a cylinder, a clutchcompressor plate in said houscylinder of the clutch actuating motor, apiston ing having a central boss, said piston having an in saidcylinder, a clutch compressor plate in abutting relation with said boss,and means for said housing having a central crowned boss, said 10supplying fluid pressure to said cylinder thereby piston having anabutting relation with said to force said piston against said boss andengage crowned boss, and means for supplying fluid pressaid clutchmembers.

sure to said cylinder thereby to force said piston 1 EDWARD G. LEWIS.

against said crowned boss and engage said clutch members.

